Azithromycin does not prevent six-month myointimal proliferation but attenuates the transient systemic inflammation occurring after coronary stenting.

Objectives: Stent implantation produces a systemic increase of inflammatory markers that correlates with Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection in atherosclerotic plaque. We performed a clinical intervention study to investigate the effect of antibiotic treatment on 6-month follow-up angiographic minimal luminal diameter after stenting.

Methods: Ninety patients were randomly assigned to oral azithromycin or placebo in a double-blinded and randomized fashion.